New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-24
THE civil SERVICE MILL.
HOW IT aRINDs OUT PLAcEHoLDERs.
ruE MEN WHO SUPERVISE Irs orERArIoNs IN rHE

CITY HALL-A VAST ARMY OF oFFICEHoLDERs'
At the end opposite the Mayors Office In the main
corridor Of tho City Hail. gathered about tho door Oh
Room NO. IL, can generally DO soon motley oro"d
OF persons peer1ng inside looking into a cage
of Wild animals. Tho room into which the door
opens Is divided by a railing, and In 'front.' vi 'ho
railing are OF desks and chairs as In schoor
room; and Zero may be seen nearly every day men
and women with paper, pen and Ink before tnem'
hard at work II at lessons Now and then man
viii come from behind tho railing and go about
among those at work as IL to see that none OF them
arc making pictures their slates. When one has
finished his task he folds up his paper takes IL UP 10
tho ruling and hands it and departs with
look OF mingled awe and relief as though glad once
moro to have the privilege of joining tho boys out
eide.
This room IL the headquarters Of tho Supervisory
and Examining Boards OF tho Municipal Civil Ser
vice. Behind the partition sits Lee Phillips tho
Great Mogul Of tho Boards. Piled on the floor and
tables and arranged In pgeon-holes arc the examl-
nation papers Of tho 1000 persons who have been
examined for places in the Municipal Civil Service
Outside Of tho partition at table with other pies
of papers and letters before them sit Sciigmnn
ManheImer, tho chief clerk, and his assistants and
generally one or more Of tho examiners Mr.. Phillips
Is q genial, mild hammered young man. rather below
tho medium sizo, with modest mustache lilo Is
lawyer by profession and is partner of that well
known Mugwump General Horito G. King, whose
influence with Mayor Grace presumably secured Mr..
Phillips his place, previous to his appointment
no had never spoken to Mayor Grace and was known
)nly In politics "a q member Of tho Democratic
annox, the Third Party Prohibtonlsts The Chief
Clerk selloman Manheimer, tho aspect Of a
growing young with a struggling mustache
JJpon these two young men falls tho greater part
Of the work OF carrying out tho Civil Service reg'i
Iatlons. There Is what is known as tho Supervisory
Board. which Is appointed to aid the Mayor in carry
ing tho law into effect This Is composed OF Everett
r. wheeler, T.. T.. Godkin. T.. Randolph Robinson ano
Mr. Phillips This board IL 10 fix the requirements
for appointments and to supervise In a general way
tho work OF tho Examining Board. 1t meets once
month generally, but as all tho members excepting
Mr.. Phillips without pay they do not devote
much tImo 10 the work OF tho Board In general
way they arc moro ornamental than useful. Mr.
Phillips Ia chief examiner and he Is also secretary
and executive oficer Of the Supervisory Board, ana
until recently was also chief clerk that tho work
of carrying out tho law largely depends on him. Ho
is in fact, tho Pooh Bah Of the city's civil service
system
IL the system honestly carried out, and arc APP
pontments made FREQ from party influence and Ia
,oritisml That Is tho question which tho 100000
persons who want to fill tho 1855 places IN the
G assincd civil service Of tho city are constantly
asking There IL no doubt that rooted belief has
existed from tho first among applicants that the
change il not real ono and that Influence" OF some
kind is stn necessary to obtain high place on the
eligible list, TO secure appointments after Obtaining
10. This feeling has been fcstcred by the uncoh-
ceae belief OF OF the higher officers In various
branches Of tho city service that there IL something
tran.tory or unreal tho civil Service law and that
Il must eventually be repealed The exposure re-
Gently made in Brooklyn moving that the only sue
ccssfu applicants wore those recommended by promr
nent Democratic politicians, and tho reports In tho
newspapers about combines" in making appoint
monts in tho Poioo Board. have contributed to tho
belief In tho minds OF many persons that there h
something rotten In this system OF making appoint-
ments That tho law Is imperfect Is admitted Its
admit nistration Is largely IN tho hands OF ono man.
But tho most careful inquiry has yet failed to show
otherwise than that Mr. Phillips and his assistants
aro doing tholr best mpartally 70 carry tho law
into effect.
IL hsyo no doubt" said Mr.. Phillips In speaking
on this mattor "that applicants have paid money 10
get their hangs tho eligible list. But that money
never reached anybody In this room nor did 1t In
rucnoo the result OF examinations l frequently
hear minors OF the payment Of money by ,ecI
ing places ON tho police force or elsewhere, but
when those are asked for particulars they refuse
10 say anything perhaps for rear OF clniini1hH
themselves. Formerly whom person came hero 10
INQUIRE how a applicant stood ON tho eligible list
Or whether or not he had passed the examination
successfully, I would give the Information II
thought tho person making tho inquiry was friend
or wanted tho Information for good purpose. Re-
Gently | told that some OF these persons wOuu
mako applicants believe that they could get thom
through. and would como hore and find out whether
hey had passed and then telling thom that II
was all right applicants would believe, of oourso
that il was the result Of such persons influence. and
would ray accordingly. For some reason or Other |
apple ants seem 10 fcsr to come hero and ask for
themselves and that mado 1t easier for such persons
20 barter In this matter. To overcome this we have
recently made a rule that Information concerning
ho result of an examination shall DO given to any
person except tho applicant himself. An attaohe |
II ono OF the courts was IN the habit Of coming In
nero 10 make inquiries about tho results OF eNamlna
ions. After we adopted this rulo recently no came
in IA usual and asked about applicants papers. |
inquired why tho applicant did not como himself. |
n / saw him standing outside the door.
a. What difference does that makel' said tho |
court Official. Isn't this public Office and have
not a right to inspect the public records
"'It Is n public Office | replied and you may |
rave q hight 10 see tho records but don't propose
10 let you see theu'
Won. we Will SEQ about that was HIS indignant
-eply. i viii come in here with mandamus aud
compel you to let me SEQ them.
'.I shou q be glad 10 have you test the matter
n tho courts l replied as that would settle a
gcxod question:
"However, ne went away and that was the last
have Of him. ThoTe Il difference Of opinion
among our own friends to whether or not tho
records should 10 made public George William
yurtis thinks that there should be secrecy about
g. and that everything should be public; but can
go where might suffer injury BY the
publication OF his to some simple question.
,r VI the fact that he had failed to pass the exami
iaton for place for which he thought himself
maIfed A man may fail sometimes for reasons
rot concerned with tho merits OF tho question Now
icre Is this room-it IL small. altogether inadequate
o our work. While applicants are sitting hero.
writing out their replies to questions Others are
unning In and out. making Inquiries, tostling against
hose at work, and this taken In connection with
hc Close sitting atmosphere hot day, often
perhaps prevents applicant from doing justice to
himself. Failure under such circumstances might
,ccur. when 1t would not II tho circumstances were
lRcrent"
To assist Mr. Phillips In work OF examining APP
,icans there are persons designated by the Mayor
These arc Inspector Byrnos Of the Police Department
lunh Hnnner Assstant Chief Of the Eire DEPARTMENT.